“Promise?”

“I promise.”

It takes another few minutes, but eventually, she snuggles against me and her eyes flutter closed for the final time that night.










Chapter Four

Dixie Rose

The next day, I wake up from the best sleep I’ve ever had.

The feeling of being so warm and comfortable and, most importantly, safe is one I haven’t felt in...well, I couldn’t exactly remember.

Chunks of memory are still missing.

I remember driving down an isolated road and crashing into a truck.

But I can’t remember where I was driving to, or more importantly, who I was driving away from.

There’s this feeling of unease I can’t shake. Something bad happened. I may not know anything else, but I know that. It, whatever it is, is festering deep in the pit of my stomach. I feel like I’m being watched.

I feel like I should be afraid.

But last night in Heath’s arms, I wasn’t.

Heath. I don’t remember my husband, but how is that possible? I’ve never been more attracted to a man in my life. He’s tall. So tall he has to duck his head to get beneath the door frame. His full beard is as dark as his shoulder-length hair and his eyes are the stormiest shade of gray I’ve ever seen. Then there are his massive arms covered in shadowy tattoos.

Not for the first time, I think about how those muscular arms once gripped my hips. Has he ever squeezed my throat or hauled me up against a wall? I go to lace those tattooed fingers through mine now and realize that they’re completely gone.

Springing my eyes open, I turn around to see that it isn’t Heath’s bulky frame behind me but a few pillows wrapped in a thick duvet squashed against me like he’d been trying to emulate his own body.

Stay calm.

Stay Calm.

He’s probably just checking in with the doctors or helping with some paperwork. Didn’t the doctor say I’m being discharged today?